Adefolarin Oria, Ondo Central senatorial candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, says the opposition party is too divided to achieve electoral victory in 2027.
Mr Oria said this on Thursday in Akure, claiming that “the way the party presents itself as if it belongs to a specific group makes it difficult for indigenous people from other regions to accept it.”
Mr Oria also highlighted leadership issues in the party, citing the events leading up to the 2024 gubernatorial election in Ondo.
He noted that the party failed to present a candidate due to leadership tussles, leading to a legal battle.
The Labour Party was embroiled in a dispute over two governorship candidates, Sola Ebiseni and Ayo Olorunfemi, with the matter ultimately being decided by the court.
“Politics is about inclusiveness. Unfortunately, the leadership of our party is selfish. They need to bridge divides and engage all ethnic groups rather than being perceived as a party for a particular tribe.
“We must make our political party friendly and accommodating to all regions of the country. The problem in Ondo state is that the leadership operates in isolation, disregarding party members. But there is no leadership without the people,” the politician explained.
Mr Oria also criticised the Labour Party for appointing a state chairman who could not speak the indigenous language, arguing that such a decision “creates a disconnect with the local population.”
He said that unless the party quickly restructured and adopted an inclusive approach to politics, it would struggle to win any elections in 2027.
(NAN)